My vote belongs to me and only me, even if I am ‘wasting’ it

Over the course of the last two weeks or so, I have received more frantic text messages, emails, and phone calls than at any point in my life. This is not due to any traumatic or deeply personal life event, rather it is the reaction to Donald Trump’s capturing of the Republican nomination in the aftermath of the Indiana primary on May 3^rd.

As per the Trumpkins, I am told to “get in line, suck it up, and back the nominee” like any good partisan. Because otherwise, Hillary will win the White House, a line repeated time and time again in an ominous tone usually reserved for warnings about category five hurricanes.

Alternately, my acquaintances who happen to be Hillary supporters attempt to shame me into supporting Mrs. Clinton by describing her as “as close to a traditional Republican in this race,” or “the only sane person running for President. Yet, their pitch ultimately comes down to this: a vote that’s not for Clinton is a vote for Donald J. Trump, who in the minds of many people (some in their right minds, others not so much) might as well be munching on ground human infant meat in that taco bowl of his.

This pressure, which I know I am not alone in feeling, is already highly aggravating and intense, and unfortunately for me and many others, its only bound to get worse. Hard as it is to believe, having been in the midst of this miserable shitstorm of a campaign for the last year, there’s another six months left to this circus. And for any of you hopeless optimists out there who are hoping that there will some semblance of issue-based debate or basic decency re-injected in this “home stretch,” you’re wrong. Hopelessly, terribly wrong.

Donald Trump, as I’ve made clear in a previous article, and in literally any conversation I’ve had with anyone on the subject, is not my kind of “Republican” – far from it. Indeed, I use the quotation marks for that exact reason, in that he was not an active member of the GOP until very recently, and his core policies, however scant they are, contract the bulk of what Republicans who have sought seats in Congress and the White House have believed for a quarter century.

Eroding our national security, infringing on individual liberties, failing to stand up for our allies and stand up to our enemies, spending recklessly, endorsing trade protectionism, and spouting unhinged populist rhetoric does not embody one iota of Republican principles. Even more disqualifying are his attacks on women, veterans, ethnic minorities, and political critics, which cast him as someone woefully undeserving of the Presidency, if not downright insane. Indeed, Trump sounds a lot more like Marine Le Pen or other European far-right figures who are just as willing to preach giving out free goodies to the masses, so long as they go along with their xenophobic, isolationist ideas.

On the other hand, Hillary Clinton’s ideology and ethical standards appear to be as malleable as “Dodgy Don’s.” While Trump’s lack of a record makes it particularly difficult to pin him down on a variety of position, Hillary Clinton more than makes up for it. Indeed, what admiration one may feel for the length of her record vanishes in light of is innumerable failures and contradictions. The failed “reset” of relations with Russia, the botched Libyan intervention, the total lack of any coherent policy whilst Syria was falling apart, and of course, the shameful Benghazi attack all scream with one voice in condemnation of one of the worst Secretaries of State in American history.

No less troubling is her lack of substantial accomplishments over eight years in the Senate, short of a vote for the Iraq War that she has been made to humiliatingly apologize for for years, or the aura of scandal and impropriety that stands besides the Clintons like an artist by his painting. Undoubtedly, it would be hard to find a reasonable person who find the obvious conflicts of interest stemming from the Clinton Foundation, Bill and Hillary’s speeches, and of course, the infamous private email server, at least deeply disturbing, if not totally disqualifying.

This begs the question of what’s a guy like me, and the great swath of good and decent Americans who find themselves revolted at both candidates, supposed to do. In the face of those militants, partisans, and so-called “patriots,” campaigning at you on the doorsteps, the phone lines, or with Facebook posts, I urge you to stand your ground. Neither of these two major party candidates deserves your vote, although sadly given the dynamics of our system, they’re virtually guaranteed to win the Presidency. Although having a clean election is clearly not under our control, having a clean conscience is.

As for me personally, I will be campaigning for, donating money to, and publicly supporting the many principles Republicans seeking election to Congress and State Houses around the country. And, I sincerely ALL voters, regardless of affiliation, who are disgusted with their choices at the top of the ticket, to still go out and vote for those men and women who deserve their votes further down the ballot. In terms of the top race, at this time I am inclined to write in the only man I believe to be qualified and ready to lead this country today, and the greatest President we never had, Gov. Mitt Romney, unless I can be convinced otherwise by the ultimate nominee of the Libertarian Party.

#WriteinRomney2016